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CENTCOM: Iraqi Civilians Turning on Regime
Aired April 01, 2003 - 12:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The Central Command and their officials began their daily briefing today with the assertion that Iraqi civilians -- and I'm quoting now -- "are increasingly willing to provide information against the regime."
But the shooting deaths of several Iraqi women and children who failed to stop at a checkpoint may well complicate efforts to win over the local population.
For more on those and other top developments, let's turn to CNN's Tom Mintier. Here's at CENTCOM headquarters, Camp Ocoleia (ph), just outside Doha, Qatar -- Tom.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we just heard from the lieutenant colonel the difficulty in telling a civilian from a combatant. That is a real serious problem for the military and coalition forces in Iraq.
As we saw last Saturday, there was a suicide bomber that approached a military checkpoint on Highway 9, got out of his car, called the soldiers over and then detonated a bomb. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in that incident.
Since then, there have been maybe some changes in operation. The last 24 hours there was another incident, also in the same area, where a vehicle approached a checkpoint and failed to stop, according to CENTCOM. When that vehicle did not stop, they supposedly, and there are different accounts of this, fired a warning shot and then fired at the vehicle to disable it, and then ultimately firing in the vehicle when it still didn't stop. When it was all over and they opened the doors, according to CENTCOM, they found women and children inside.
Now according to CENTCOM officials, these women and children in the vehicle were forced to make their way against this checkpoint, saying that the Fedayeen and other paramilitary groups are forcing civilians to launch suicide attacks, what they turn out to be, against the military checkpoint areas inside Iraq.
Now, at the briefing today, it was discussed and that incident itself was also discussed with Brigadier General Vincent Brooks talking about what might have been in the minds of people as they were forced to come forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I certainly can't presuppose what decisions are being made or what decisions were made by the people in that vehicle. What we do know is that we've been broadcasting now for a good period of time, since about the 17th of February, 24 hours a day on five different frequencies. And consistent throughout that time have been messages that say, Avoid coalition troops. Avoid the places where combat is going to occur.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MINTIER: There are also indications that CENTCOM may use drop leaflets to be more specific in their message, to encourage people to stay away from areas where the military is operating and not to follow orders to drive a car against a checkpoint.
There's also been talk in the last few days about meals and supplies not making to it the frontlines. We had a background briefing with a senior CENTCOM official about logistics.
To give you an idea of the scope of how many meals are being served inside Iraq to coalition forces and especially the U.S. In the month of March, they ordered 10 million MREs. These are called Meals Ready to Eat. In April it's going up to 17 million. So lot of food and they say it's getting to the front -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Tom Mintier, he's our man at Central Command in Qatar. Tom, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 1, 2003 - 12:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The Central Command and their officials began their daily briefing today with the assertion that Iraqi civilians -- and I'm quoting now -- "are increasingly willing to provide information against the regime."
But the shooting deaths of several Iraqi women and children who failed to stop at a checkpoint may well complicate efforts to win over the local population.
For more on those and other top developments, let's turn to CNN's Tom Mintier. Here's at CENTCOM headquarters, Camp Ocoleia (ph), just outside Doha, Qatar -- Tom.
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we just heard from the lieutenant colonel the difficulty in telling a civilian from a combatant. That is a real serious problem for the military and coalition forces in Iraq.
As we saw last Saturday, there was a suicide bomber that approached a military checkpoint on Highway 9, got out of his car, called the soldiers over and then detonated a bomb. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in that incident.
Since then, there have been maybe some changes in operation. The last 24 hours there was another incident, also in the same area, where a vehicle approached a checkpoint and failed to stop, according to CENTCOM. When that vehicle did not stop, they supposedly, and there are different accounts of this, fired a warning shot and then fired at the vehicle to disable it, and then ultimately firing in the vehicle when it still didn't stop. When it was all over and they opened the doors, according to CENTCOM, they found women and children inside.
Now according to CENTCOM officials, these women and children in the vehicle were forced to make their way against this checkpoint, saying that the Fedayeen and other paramilitary groups are forcing civilians to launch suicide attacks, what they turn out to be, against the military checkpoint areas inside Iraq.
Now, at the briefing today, it was discussed and that incident itself was also discussed with Brigadier General Vincent Brooks talking about what might have been in the minds of people as they were forced to come forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIG. GEN. VINCENT BROOKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: I certainly can't presuppose what decisions are being made or what decisions were made by the people in that vehicle. What we do know is that we've been broadcasting now for a good period of time, since about the 17th of February, 24 hours a day on five different frequencies. And consistent throughout that time have been messages that say, Avoid coalition troops. Avoid the places where combat is going to occur.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MINTIER: There are also indications that CENTCOM may use drop leaflets to be more specific in their message, to encourage people to stay away from areas where the military is operating and not to follow orders to drive a car against a checkpoint.
There's also been talk in the last few days about meals and supplies not making to it the frontlines. We had a background briefing with a senior CENTCOM official about logistics.
To give you an idea of the scope of how many meals are being served inside Iraq to coalition forces and especially the U.S. In the month of March, they ordered 10 million MREs. These are called Meals Ready to Eat. In April it's going up to 17 million. So lot of food and they say it's getting to the front -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Tom Mintier, he's our man at Central Command in Qatar. Tom, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
